Statistical Uncertainty in the Re-Analysis of Polarization in GRB021206

Abstract

We recently reported the first detection of an astrophysical gamma-ray polarization from GRB021206 using the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spacecraft. Our analysis suggested gamma-ray polarization at an astoundingly high level, 80+/-20%. A recent manuscript re-analyzes this event in the RHESSI data, and sets an upper limit on potential polarization of 4.1% -- clearly inconsistent with our initial analysis. This manuscript raises a number of important concerns about the analysis, which are already being addressed in a separate methods paper under preparation. We note here, however, that the limit set on the potential polarization by this re-analysis is significantly underestimated using their novel statistical methods.

arXiv commentSubmitted to MNRAS

References in corpus (2)

• Polarization of the prompt gamma-ray emission from the gamma-ray burst of 6 December 2002
• RHESSI as a Hard X-Ray Polarimeter

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